The BBC has reported that Somerset County Council has revealed plans to outsource many of its operations, following the successful implementation of a similar scheme on a smaller scale.

Council chiefs will spend the next 18 months analysing exactly where money could be saved by hiring an outside firm to complete the work.

The cleaning and catering at libraries, schools and other facilities has recently been outsourced and is still being provided to members of the public but at a lower expense to the local authority.

Council leader Ken Maddock told the news source: "This is an exciting but also very challenging programme that has the potential to deliver huge savings."